This invention relates to battery technology. In particular, the invention relates to recycling batteries.
Electronic devices capable of deriving operating power from one or more batteries are popular, widely available and in widespread use. Many of these electronic devices would be much less successful and even lose much of their market viability without the availability of reliable battery power. In particular, portable electronic devices generally depend on batteries as a primary power source. For example, popular portable electronic devices, such as notebook and laptop computers, hand-held computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, portable AM/FM radios and CD/cassette music players, and cellular telephones would be of little or no use without battery power.
Electronic devices that employ batteries can use batteries as either a primary power source or as a secondary power source. In some cases, the electronic device is powered entirely by DC power supplied by a battery. In other cases, the battery powered electronic device can be operated either using battery power or using an external DC or AC power source. Generally, an AC adapter that converts the AC into DC provides the external DC power source for those electronic devices that use external DC power. The external AC/DC power source is also commonly used for recharging batteries in portable electronic devices that utilize in-situ rechargeable battery cells. Otherwise, rechargeable batteries generally are recharged using a separate battery charger that may be purchased by a user to recharge rechargeable batteries. Unfortunately, the initial cost associated with purchasing the battery charger can be high. In fact, for some users the expense of purchasing the battery charger is prohibitive.
Further, it is typical in many applications for the user to carry a second set of charged rechargeable batteries for convenient uninterrupted use of the device. Using the separate battery charger, the first set of batteries can be recharged while the second set is being used. However, the initial cost of rechargeable batteries is also relatively expensive. Moreover when traveling, the user must often carry the portable electronic device as well as various accessories in addition to the battery charger and the extra set of rechargeable batteries. When extra batteries and a battery charger are included, the number of accessories can become cumbersome to carry or transport. Therefore, as an alternative, many users opt to use non-rechargeable batteries in their portable electronic devices, especially when traveling, and forego the purchase and/or use of the battery charger and the extra set of rechargeable batteries, for both cost and portability convenience.
Concomitant with the trend toward, and popularity of, the use of non-rechargeable batteries are the problems associated with their inevitable disposal when these batteries no longer provide sufficient charge to power the electronic device. Battery waste is an ever-growing problem for the environment worldwide. In fact, the problem is so severe in some parts of the world that the approach chosen to control the waste stream of consumed non-rechargeable batteries often includes restricting the sale of batteries, especially the non-rechargeable varieties.
The disposal of non-rechargeable batteries is not the only problem with respect to battery waste production. Many consumers dispose of nickel-based rechargeable batteries, such as Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) and Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries, long before the end of their useful life due to a lack of understanding of the xe2x80x98memory effectxe2x80x99 that is endemic to their chemistry. Moreover, many rechargeable batteries can be reconditioned and reused many times before their useful life has actually expired.
The use of rechargeable batteries is preferable to using non-rechargeable batteries from a battery waste stream standpoint. Furthermore, recycling batteries and their constituent elements is preferable to disposal. Clearly, reuse of rechargeable batteries is the best form of recycling. Educated consumers using rechargeable batteries to their optimum life inevitably will postpone the point in time when the rechargeable batteries should be thrown away. More importantly, these educated consumers effectively will reduce the consumption of single-use, non-rechargeable batteries and thus reduce waste.
Thus it would be advantageous to provide convenient battery recycling for consumers. Battery recycling could slow down the endemic battery disposal mindset and reduce the rate at which batteries enter the waste stream.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for recycling batteries. The recycling apparatus is a self-contained battery recycling station, kiosk or vending machine that may be either manned or unmanned. The apparatus comprises a receptacle, a dispenser and a controller that monitors the receptacle and controls the dispenser. The apparatus accepts used or discharged batteries from consumers at the receptacle and dispenses one or both of fully charged batteries and credit for the used battery to the consumer from the dispenser. The method tests the used battery to determine chemistry, rechargeability and condition, assigns a credit value to the used battery, and dispenses one or both of a fully charged battery and credit for the used battery. The present invention accepts one or both of used rechargeable and used non-rechargeable batteries. Used rechargeable batteries are recharged and reused and used non-rechargeable batteries are collected for disposal in a proper fashion. The present invention further dispenses one or both of rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries. Preferably, the dispensed batteries are rechargeable batteries to encourage a consumer to use rechargeable batteries instead of non-rechargeable batteries. These recycling stations, kiosk or vending machines can be placed at convenient locations to make them readily accessible to the consumer.
In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for recycling a used battery is provided. The apparatus comprises a consumer access point where the used battery is deposited by a consumer, a battery tester that measures a characteristic of the used battery to determine rechargeability of the used battery, a dispenser that dispenses a form of credit, where the credit has a value that based on the determined rechargeability, and a controller that communicates with the consumer at the consumer access point. The controller controls the operation of the battery tester and the dispenser in response to an input at the consumer access point. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a battery charger that recharges used rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, the battery charger may also maintain the charge of batteries stored by the apparatus so that the stored rechargeable batteries remain at a peak or maximum charge level.
The consumer access point comprises a plurality of ports for depositing used batteries and payments and for receiving credit in the form of a fully charged battery or the credit value. The consumer access point further comprises a display. The controller communicates with the consumer using the display.
In the preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprising the battery charger, the battery charger recharges and reconditions a used rechargeable battery into another fully charged battery that later can be dispensed. The controller controls the battery charger and monitors the recharge/reconditioning cycle.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of recycling a battery is provided. The method comprises electrically testing a used battery to determine one or more of battery chemistry, rechargeability and condition of the used battery. The method further comprises assigning a credit value to the tested used battery based on the determined chemistry, rechargeability and condition, and dispensing a form of credit based on the assigned credit value. In a preferred embodiment, the method still further comprises recharging the used battery into a fully recharged battery, when the electrical testing determines that the used battery is rechargeable.
In some embodiments, the step of dispensing a form of credit comprises providing options and choices for the form of dispensed credit. One option that may be provided is a choice between dispensing the credit in the form of a refund and applying the credit to a purchase of a fully charged battery that is dispensed. The refund can be in the form of money, tokens or coupons, for example. The option to purchase the fully charged battery includes a choice among a plurality of different form factors for the fully charged battery. In some of these embodiments, the fully charged battery comprises only rechargeable battery types. In others of these embodiments, the fully charged battery comprises one or both of rechargeable and non-rechargeable battery types. Where a choice between both battery types is provided, the method optionally further comprises providing an incentive for choosing a rechargeable battery over a non-rechargeable battery.
Advantageously, the present invention allows convenient use of rechargeable batteries in much the same way as consumers currently use non-rechargeable batteries. The present invention ultimately will reduce the consumption of single-use, non-rechargeable batteries and thus reduce waste. Single-use, non-rechargeable batteries that are collected by the present invention are properly disposed of, such that the number of such single-use batteries entering landfills is reduced. Further, the present invention can lower the consumer price barrier to rechargeable batteries by providing an alternative to the consumer to that of investing in both a rechargeable battery and a battery charger all at once. The present invention further provides convenient fully charged and properly conditioned rechargeable batteries to the consumer that both promotes use of a rechargeable battery to its designed capacity and reduces prematurely discarding the rechargeable battery. The present invention can be provided at convenient locations, such as malls, stores, popular tourist areas, and other public places. Its availability can be much like xe2x80x98propane bottle exchange stationsxe2x80x99 that currently exist at grocery and some department stores. In contrast to the propane bottle exchange stations, the present invention can be unmanned or manned, and therefore, made available to the consumer for additional time and in more locations, thereby enhancing the overall convenience of the present invention.